Chapter 69

Chapter 68: A Dream of Yellow Millet

Xue Dao Laozu's face grew increasingly grim. He let out a cold snort and, without saying much, bound Wei Xiaobao and returned to the camp.

Wei Xiaobao knew his words had taken effect, for he saw Xue Dao Laozu immediately find Sangjie, and the two of them pointed and whispered to each other.

"Laozu, I think the boy is right," Sangjie's expression was uncertain.

"Then why don't we take him back to the Mongolian grasslands?" Xue Dao Laozu's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

"It's just that Yuan Chengzhi's martial arts are too high, and I have been injured by Song Qingshu's sword qi. The two of us might not be able to handle it," Sangjie had been seriously injured by Song Qingshu's sword, which had pierced his Great Hand Seal aura field. He had been suppressing the injury all along.

"What if I join you?" With a long laugh, Hong Antong emerged from the shadows. It turned out he had been coveting the eight volumes of the Forty-Two Chapter Sutra in Wei Xiaobao's possession and did not want to see him die.

Unfortunately, he was a lone figure, and neither Xue Dao Laozu nor Sangjie was inferior to him. Yuan Chengzhi's martial arts were clearly superior to his, so he did not dare to act rashly. He could only keep an eye on Xue Dao Laozu and Sangjie's movements. When he heard their conversation, he was overjoyed and jumped out.

Seeing the three old foxes whispering to each other, Wei Xiaobao let out a long sigh of relief, thinking that his life was finally safe. Being taken to Mongolia might not mean certain death. Perhaps he could talk his way out of it and convince the Mongolian prince to release him... Thinking of the good outcome, Wei Xiaobao couldn't help but chuckle foolishly.

On the other side, Song Qingshu was tied to a temporary post. On the surface, he appeared listless, but in reality, he was secretly using the Nine Yin Manual's method to unblock his acupoints.

Suddenly, he caught a whiff of a sweet, fragrant scent. His heart stirred, and Song Qingshu opened his eyes. He saw a light green skirt sway before him, and looking up, he said, "It's you, You You... Oh, no, Mrs. Yuan."

"How is your injury?" Xia Qingqing frowned, thinking of how he had been struck in a vital spot by Hong Antong and injured by the other two, her face showed concern.

"Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Yuan. I just have scattered true qi, and I won't die anytime soon," Song Qingshu leaned against the post, looking at Xia Qingqing with a playful expression. "I wonder if it was You You who asked you to come see me."

Xia Qingqing's face turned red. Seeing that he didn't expose the truth, she pretended to be ignorant: "You You hates you to death. How could she come to see you?"

"Alas, since that day, I and You You may never meet again." Song Qingshu understood that Xia Qingqing had only played the role to lure Wei Xiaobao. Looking at the dignified and graceful Xia Qingqing now, Song Qingshu realized that the famous prostitute from Yangzhou, who could charm anyone, had forever disappeared.

"Humph!" Whenever she recalled the intimate moments with him, Xia Qingqing's heart would flutter. Although they hadn't really engaged in swordplay, the feeling of merging like water and milk, and the spiritual connection, left an indelible impression on her.

Moreover, Song Qingshu's appearance as a refined and handsome gentleman, and his perfect answers to the two riddles she had posed, made her feel a mix of anger and fondness.

Therefore, when she realized that the wine had been tampered with, she didn't suspect him, thinking it was a low trick used by the brothel to make her entertain guests.

"I have some pastries I can't finish. Throwing them away seems a waste. Since you look so pitiful here, I'll treat you like a stray cat or dog and give them to you." Xia Qingqing placed a wooden box filled with pastries beside him and turned to leave.

"Mrs. Yuan, please wait," seeing her turn back in surprise, Song Qingshu smiled bitterly and gestured, "Look at me, bound like this. How can I eat?"

"Do you want me to untie you?" Xia Qingqing was no fool and shook her head, "Your martial arts are too high. I don't want to take the risk."

"I wouldn't put Mrs. Yuan in such a difficult position," Song Qingshu's eyes were filled with nostalgia, "But if You You were here, she would surely feed me gently, bite by bite..."

Xia Qingqing's expression fluctuated, but the ambiguous thrill made her heart race. After a moment's hesitation, she gathered her skirt and squatted beside him, using her delicate fingers to pick up a piece of osmanthus cake and bring it to Song Qingshu's lips, muttering, "I'm just worried you might starve to death. Don't think too much of it."

Song Qingshu smiled knowingly and opened his mouth to take the soft osmanthus cake.

Xia Qingqing's fingers quickly withdrew as if burned, giving him no chance to take advantage.

Song Qingshu's eyes twinkled, and he asked casually, "Why isn't Mrs. Yuan with the Golden Snake King, but here chatting with a prisoner like me?"

"I have a middle-aged scholar visiting Brother Yuan, hiding in the main tent, discussing something. I found it boring, so I wandered around," Xia Qingqing's face turned red. In fact, she had taken the opportunity to bring Song Qingshu some food without others noticing. She didn't know why she did it, but she felt an urge to get closer to him.

Of course, it would be ridiculous to say that Xia Qingqing was captivated by Song Qingshu's imposing presence and fell in love with him.

She was just enjoying the thrill of a dangerous game, and if Song Qingshu really tried anything, she would never allow it.

"Ah!" As Xia Qingqing's mind wandered, her fingers were suddenly caught by him. The moist sucking sensation at her fingertips startled her, and she immediately stood up, her ears turning red as she glared at Song Qingshu.

"Even the sweetest osmanthus cake can't match the taste of Mrs. Yuan's delicate hands," Song Qingshu stared at her unyieldingly, his teasing evident.

"Xia Qingqing, you're really crazy!" Shaking her head fiercely, looking at his hateful appearance, Xia Qingqing suddenly kicked Song Qingshu in the waist and ran away, lifting her skirt.

"Ouch, you can't kick a man there. If you ruin my future happiness, you'll have to take responsibility," Song Qingshu's mocking laughter echoed behind her.

Watching Xia Qingqing's retreating figure, Song Qingshu smiled bitterly, "I can't seem to get rid of my habit of flirting."

Thinking of how he used to flirt with female subordinates in his previous life at the company, Song Qingshu's expression darkened. Looking at the distant mountains, he leaned against the post and sighed deeply, "I've been in this world for so long, getting more and more used to it, but I'm also more and more afraid, fearing that one day I'll wake up and only remember my past life as a dream of yellow millet... Only by doing this can I remember who I truly am."

In the main tent, Yuan Chengzhi looked shocked at the highly respected figure in the martial world, "What? Wei Xiaobao is the incense master of the Green Wood Hall of the Heaven and Earth Society?"

"That's right. Xiao Bao is my disciple, who has been secretly working in the Qing court, making significant contributions to the Heaven and Earth Society. If it weren't for the current crisis, I wouldn't have wanted to expose his identity. I hope you, Master Yuan, will keep this secret," the middle-aged scholar was none other than the Supreme Commander of the Heaven and Earth Society, Chen Jinnan, known for the saying, "If you don't know Chen Jinnan, you're not a hero."

The Heaven and Earth Society had members spread across the country. They had accidentally discovered that the Shandong martial world was plotting to assassinate Wei Xiaobao. Chen Jinnan was alarmed and traveled day and night, mobilizing various branches to investigate, finally catching up with Yuan Chengzhi and his group.

"Supreme Commander Chen, your Heaven and Earth Society aims to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming. I am also against the Qing, but the former Ming emperor and I have a blood feud, so we are not on the same path," Yuan Chengzhi's words made Chen Jinnan's heart sink, but then he changed his tone, "However, I have always admired Supreme Commander Chen's character and demeanor. I don't want to kill each other and give the Manchus an advantage. I can release Wei Xiaobao, but this mission has failed, and I need to give my brothers an explanation."

Chen Jinnan understood his dilemma. After such a grand plan, it would be frustrating to find out it was all for nothing. He smiled, "I am willing to accompany Brother Yuan to Shandong to discuss an alliance between our two organizations. In the future, the Heaven and Earth Society will follow the Golden Snake Camp's lead in Shandong."

Yuan Chengzhi was delighted. Chen Jinnan had great prestige in the martial world. His personal visit to Shandong to ally with the Golden Snake Camp would greatly boost the morale of the various rebel forces. Moreover, the Golden Snake Camp's activities in Shandong would benefit from the Heaven and Earth Society's intelligence and support, making Wei Xiaobao less important.

"Since that's the case, I will arrange for someone to secretly rescue Wei Xiaobao to avoid exposing his identity," Yuan Chengzhi suddenly remembered something and frowned, "But there is a difficult matter..."

"What is it?" Chen Jinnan was startled and asked urgently.

"This time, I also have three top evil sect masters with me: the Dragon God of the Divine Dragon Sect, the Blood Knife Sect Master, and the first expert of the True Word Sect, Sangjie. If they discover and join forces, I might not be able to handle them..." Yuan Chengzhi thought to himself: Fortunately, two of them are injured, so I can barely win.

"Although I am not very talented, my martial arts are passable. I have long heard that the Dragon God of the Divine Dragon Sect, Hong Antong, is a master. I have always wanted to test my skills against him. If needed, I can at least hold Hong Antong off. Everything is up to the Golden Snake King's command," Chen Jinnan had recently perfected the Blood-Clotting Claw, which could kill silently. He believed that even if he couldn't defeat Hong Antong, he wouldn't lose quickly.

"Supreme Commander Chen is too modest..." Before Yuan Chengzhi could finish, he heard a scream from outside. He immediately used the Divine Speed Technique and rushed out of the tent like a wisp of smoke. Chen Jinnan was impressed, realizing that Yuan Chengzhi's martial arts were probably superior to his own.

Rushing out of the tent, Yuan Chengzhi found Xue Dao Laozu holding Wei Xiaobao, having killed two Golden Snake Camp disciples blocking his way, and was about to escape down the mountain. He raised his hand, and three Golden Snake Darts flew out from his sleeve, blocking Xue Dao Laozu's path.